Circus
by Arvendell
Summary: Sometimes, she felt like she was in a circus, threading on a thin line, pretending to be something different. Sequel to Womanizer.
1. Acrobat

A/N: How are you folks? ;) Hope you're all doing fine ;) As I've said last time, there's a sequel to _Womanizer_. We are going to put a real ending to the story in here. The night after I posted the last chapter, I remember that some chapter titles for a sequel to _Circus_ (yup, I'm thinking far ahead haha ;) crossed my mind. Well, who knows if I could write it...?

Anyway, _Circus_ has only 3 chapters. I don't think I will add more for this story even if there are a lot of possible titles that could be used for each chapter (because I don't feel like adding anymore haha ;)

And to tell you the truth, I almost decided to post a different story and not _Circus _yet haha ;) I guess I was excited that time when I was reading the _Little By Little 2_. No, it's not a sequel to _Little By Little_. It's more like in a way, things progressed in the story little by little, too. And I wasn't in the mood to think of a different title when I wrote it over a year ago ;) You would probably read it, too. For now, let's focus on _Circus_.

Now then, as usual, **I don't own Sachiko, Yumi and co.. **And, **read at your own risk, folks!**

Can you believe it, it's my 25th story for MSGM here in FFN? You know, I've received a lot of messages from people here in FFN (not including the reviews if I might add) and realized that there are probably hundreds of them. Some still posts comments/reviews/PMs when I post stories, and there are also new folks ;) People have been nice to me here, especially fellow MSGM fans ;) That's why I would never abandon a story here ;)

* * *

* * *

"**Circus"**

_-Arvendell-_

**Chapter 1. Acrobat

* * *

**

* * *

Fukuzawa Yumi felt like she was walking in a thin rope. A couple of days had passed since the incident with her Onee-sama, Ogasawara Sachiko, at the Rose Mansion and yet she hadn't fully grasped what it was all about. She remembered everything clearly like it was only yesterday.

"_You womanizer," Sachiko said accusingly. _

"_W-what? Onee-sama, I don't understand you at all," Yumi squeaked, tears now leaking in her eyes. She was confused, worried, and scared of Sachiko's actions and the things that left her lips made her feel uncomfortable._

"_Maybe this, you would understand," Sachiko said as she pulled the surprised Yumi and kissed her on the lips. Despite her anger, Sachiko noticed how soft the lips that were pressed into hers. This must be what floating in the clouds felt like. The feel of Yumi's lips on hers melted Sachiko's anger. _

"_Yumi..."_

_The kiss went on for several seconds with Yumi in a frozen state. Her brain couldn't process what was happening. Before she could she react, Sachiko pulled away in shock._

"_What have I done?" Sachiko asked herself with mortification. Without anger clouding her judgement, she finally realized what was happening, what she was doing. She looked at the frozen Yumi and seeing her shocked and teary-eyed face, she jumped into a conclusion and did something that she hadn't done before to Yumi. She turned and fled the room, leaving Yumi to her confused self._

_Yumi sat in a chair absently, her knees feeling weak. She was trembling. She raised her hand and touched her lips. Her mind couldn't think of anything coherent except one thing._

_Did Sachiko just kiss her?_

After that incident, Sachiko became indifferent. She had put a wall around her that Yumi couldn't penetrate. Yumi couldn't make out any of it. She couldn't understand anything that had happened. One moment Sachiko was smiling, and then she was angry, and then she was kissing her, and then she was mortified, and then she was gone.

Yumi had spent sleepless nights since that day, thinking about Sachiko, her behaviour, her words. For some reason, Sachiko was angry about something that she had done. What had triggered Sachiko's explosion?

"It was the mention of Sei-sama...And then she got angrier when I mentioned Touko-chan and Kanako-chan...She kept on saying about kissing."

At the mention of the kiss, Yumi's face flamed. She brought a finger to her lips. She could still feel Sachiko's lips on hers. Sachiko had very soft lips. No matter the circumstances, the fact that Sachiko had kissed her lips made her insides in frenzy.

'_Onee-sama kissed me...Onee-sama's lips touched mine...Onee-sama...'_

Before Yumi's imagination could go wild, she forcefully brought her attention back into focus.

"What kiss was Onee-sama talking about? I haven't kissed anyone...except Sei-sama before she graduated. But that wasn't on her lips! Was that what Onee-sama talking about?"

Somehow though, Yumi didn't think that it was so.

"And what did she mean by womanizer?"

Sachiko had said that she was a womanizer, which shocked her. She didn't even know what that word means, though she sensed by the way that Sachiko said it that it wasn't something positive. She had looked for its meaning, and found that it said that a womanizer was a habitual seducer of women. It surprised her that Sachiko knew such a word. It surprised her even more that Sachiko called her like that!

She hadn't seduced anyone!

Especially women!

That was what she knew.

Or had she?

Yumi thought as hard as she could, but couldn't come up with anything. Frustrated, she clenched tight on the pencil in her hand, breaking it in the process. However, the broken pencil went unnoticed as she thought about what she had to do.

She had to talk to Sachiko. That was the first thing that she should do. She had to know what was wrong. She had to know what Sachiko was talking about so she could understand and act accordingly. Only then could she have peace of mind.

But how could she do it?

She didn't know how to act when Sachiko was around these days. Sachiko gave off an aura that clearly said 'leave me alone' or 'don't talk to me'. She was giving a new meaning to unapproachable, intimidating and scary person.

'_But still so beautiful...'_

Yumi shook her head at her last thoughts. She shouldn't be distracted.

She tried to understand Sachiko's behaviour. Before her explosion in this same place, at the Rose Mansion's meeting room, what had been different with Sachiko?

Sachiko was teasing her about having many fan girls...

Sachiko wanted to help her about Takeshima Tsutako.

And before that day, she had noticed that Sachiko was always in deep thought. However, when she asked her, the latter said that it was nothing that she couldn't handle.

Was it about the Ogasawara family?

Or her reluctant fiancé?

The last question made Yumi frown. Was Kashiwagi Suguru, Sachiko's cousin and fiancé who preferred to be with guys, causing some trouble to Sachiko?

If he was, she wouldn't allow it!

She didn't want Sachiko hurting!

That man should act like a man for once and stood up and break the engagement if he didn't love Sachiko, or any woman for that matter! Sachiko would be better off without him! Sachiko could find someone whom she could live with and would take care of her. Someone who would love her. Someone who...

Yumi paused. She didn't want to think more about Sachiko being with someone. She couldn't. It was hard. It was painful. She wanted Sachiko to be...

Shaking her head, Yumi once again forced herself back to the matter at hand.

Sachiko didn't comment anything about her date with the first years Matsudaira Touko and Hosokawa Kanako. And then she accepted to have a date with her, which they hadn't talked about yet. She wanted that date with her!

Setting that aside, everything seemed to have gone wrong when she mentioned Satou Sei, the former member of the Yamayurikai, in the conversation. She was only teasing Sachiko about being like Sei. However, after that, Sachiko's mood had changed?

Why?

Was Sachiko angry with Sei?

Yumi's musing was cut off when the door of the meeting room opened and revealed Sachiko who paused when their eyes met.

"Good day, Onee-sama," Yumi greeted hesitantly. There was again Sachiko's indifferent demeanour which hurt and saddened her.

"Good day, Yumi. Is everything set for the meeting?" Sachiko asked as she gracefully sat on a chair beside Yumi.

"Y-yes, Onee-sama. Is something still needs to be done that I hadn't?"

Sachiko swept a look at the papers on the table and then said, "No. Everything's here."

Silence enveloped the meeting room. Sachiko started to read the papers while waiting for the others to arrive. Yumi, on the other hand, debated on whether to talk to Sachiko about what was bothering her or not. She looked at Sachiko at the corner of her eyes. Sachiko was reading seriously, like there was nothing wrong with them.

"Onee-sama, about what happened before when we..."

"What is it, Yumi?" Sachiko asked in a quizzical expression that made Yumi almost shout with frustration. Sachiko was really making it hard for her.

"Nothing, Onee-sama..." Yumi said, backing away. She started to read some of the papers in front of her though her mind wasn't on it. She felt like she was someone in a circus where she was an acrobat. She was still learning and wasn't ready to tread on a dangerous rope. She had to be prepared first and be very careful or she might lose her balance and fall and lose everything. That was how she felt with Sachiko around her, so she backed away. Until she learned to be firm, she couldn't ask Sachiko. She had to prepare herself first, prepare for the worst.

* * *

* * *

A/N: I'll try to update next week once my head is free (hopefully) from thoughts of my report. Can you believe it? It has been postponed several times that it's causing me too much stress. Ah...the waiting is killing me, though I think it was for my own good, too. The postponement was lucky for me also. If it went as scheduled (Sept 25), then I would be in a bad state because I have cough and cold. It's getting better now, and hopefully by Saturday, my throat and nose are fine haha ;) And yeah, I end up doing the entire report. How about that? I did the rest yesterday for 8 hours probably and had robbed me of my rest time :( I was all set to report the whole thing yesterday, but my group mate finally thought about contacting me this morning so I probably won't be alone on Saturday.

Until next time, folks!

Take care!

_-27 September 2010-_

_2:50 PM_


	2. Clown

A/N: Hi there, folks! Thanks to all of you who reviewed the previous chapter. I'm not going to enumerate your names here, but surely you do know who you are, right? ;)

* * *

**

* * *

Chapter 2. Clown

* * *

**

* * *

Yumi was finally able to tread on dangerous rope, to face Sachiko and ask what she wanted to know. All it needed was a moment of braveness and swiftness on her part. However, she didn't think she could do it again. She was just lucky that time.

"_Onee-sama, I want to ask you something," Yumi bravely said once she managed to be with Sachiko alone. She was frustrated at their game. When with the others, the two of them were perfectly normal. However, when they were alone, Sachiko was so indifferent that she felt like she was with an entirely different person, a person who was a stranger to her._

"_I have to go to the library and..."_

"_Why did you kiss me that day?" Yumi asked, cutting Sachiko off._

"_It was nothing," Sachiko answered coldly as she stood and headed to the door. Yumi once again bravely stopped her by holding her hand._

"_If it was nothing to you, then at least tell me the reason? I know you don't do things without a reason, Onee-sama," Yumi said, trying to stay firm. If it had been any other time, she probably had backed away immediately. Heck, she wouldn't even have thought of having a confrontation like this with Sachiko. However, she felt that she would go mad if she didn't do anything, if she kept on hesitating._

"_You don't know me, Yumi."_

"_Maybe I don't know everything about you, but I could understand your actions, Onee-sama. You were angry at me that time. Why, I don't know," Yumi said the last words in a forlorn voice._

"_If you could understand me like what you were saying, then you should know the reason now," Sachiko answered, trying to be firm also._

"_But..."_

"_No buts, Yumi. Now, if you could please let me go."_

"_Why are you like this? What have I done to deserve this?" Yumi asked, on the verge of tears. _

"_You have done nothing wrong, Yumi. It was entirely my fault. I was unable to think rationally. I'm sorry if my actions had hurt you," Sachiko said, her expression softening at the sight of Yumi._

"_Onee-sama..."_

"_Let's not think about that anymore, Yumi. You shouldn't work up yourself about useless things. It was foolishness on my part to think that...to act that...forget about it, Yumi."_

_Sachiko briefly touched Yumi's cheek with her free hand before she freed herself from Yumi's grasp, picked her things, and then went out of the meeting room, leaving Yumi to stare at the closed door sadly._

Sachiko had avoided Yumi like a plague since then. Sachiko always managed to not be alone with her. She was very good in avoiding her. She always found excuses. She wouldn't even look her in the eye. Yumi wanted to talk to Sachiko again, because their last conversation didn't clear anything to her. If ever, it only made her more confused. But how was she going to do it?

In the end, another game started and was being played by Yumi and Sachiko. Where Sachiko avoided her, Yumi chose to pretend that everything was alright. She talked to Sachiko like everything was fine with the, and she smiled, laughed, frowned and pouted with their friends. And yet at the same time, she knew she couldn't go on like that. She could only do so much.

"Yoshino-san did it on purpose, I'm telling you, Shimako-san," Yumi said, giggling when Shimazu Yoshino glared at her.

"I did not! How was I supposed to know that students were there? Everyone was supposed to be in class already," Yoshino said stubbornly.

The matter that they were arguing about was when Yoshino pulled Yumi aside and asked, or more like demanded, what was wrong with her. Yumi denied that something was wrong with her. However, Yoshino, being the stubborn person that she was, didn't believe and nagged Yumi. Their exchanged had escalated to the point that Yoshino had raised her voice, startling students that were passing by hurriedly towards their classes. The students were surprised, to say the least. It surprised them to see the Rosa Chinensis en bouton and Rosa Foetida en bouton having what they assumed as heated argument. When Yoshino noticed them looking, she gave them an evil eye, scaring the students away.

"More importantly, Yumi-san, you can't lie to me. You can't lie to us. We know that something's wrong between you and Sachiko-sama. We are your friends, right Shimako-san? So Yumi-san should trust us more and let us help if she needs it," Yoshino continued.

"I'm sure Yumi-san will tell us when she's ready, right, Yumi-san?" Toudou Shimako said with a smile.

"Uh...sure, Shimako-san. I'll tell you and Yoshino-san when I'm ready," Yumi agreed. How could she not? It was just so hard to say no to Shimako when she was being so calm and caring.

"You should have seen the students' faces, Shimako-san. It looked like they had seen a ghost or something," Yoshino said, talking about the incident earlier. Now that they had Yumi's agreement, she was at eased. For the time being.

Yumi, Yoshino and Shimako giggled as Yoshino described in details the students' reactions. They were so caught up with their merriment that they hadn't noticed Hasekura Rei and Sachiko coming in.

"What did we miss?"

"Yoshino-san did something again, Rosa Foetida," Yumi said with merriment.

"Really? What is it this time?"

As Yumi relayed what happened with Yoshino's interjection and protests from time to time, Sachiko was staring at her. There was something wrong with Yumi. True, she was her bubbly self. However, it looked to her like it was forced, like it was being overdone. It wasn't like the real Yumi that she knew of. Was this the result of what she did?

Suddenly, Sachiko felt worse than she was already feeing lately ever since that kiss with Yumi.

* * *

"Yumi, can I talk to you for a second," Sachiko asked before Yumi could reach the door of the council room. Everyone had gone on ahead, leaving the two of them in an uncomfortable silence until Yumi decided that she had enough for the day.

"Sure," Yumi agreed easily, smiling at Sachiko as she went back to her seat. "What is it that you wanted to talk about, Onee-sama?"

Sachiko frowned. Yumi was smiling too much again.

"How are your classes going?" Sachiko asked, though that wasn't what she really wanted to ask. Yumi's behaviour was giving her a pause. It was throwing her off-balance. How was she going to ask Yumi if something was wrong with her when the person itself looked like she was having the time in the world?

"Oh. Great! Everything's great! I think I'm doing better lately," Yumi said enthusiastically.

Sachiko grimaced inside. Definitely, this was her doing. Not about Yumi's class but of her unusual behaviour. "I'm glad," was all she could say.

"If that's all then I think we should be going, Onee-sama."

Sachiko nodded as she packed her things. Nothing was said between her and Yumi until finally they had to part ways at the station.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Onee-sama. Good day."

"Good day, Yumi," Sachiko said. She paused for a while, contemplating what to say or do, before she reached for Yumi's tie and arranged it even if it didn't need any fixing. "Take care on your way home."

"I will, thank you. Take care also, Onee-sama."

And then Sachiko left. Yumi watched her leave, a smile plastered on her lips. As soon as Sachiko was out of sight, the smile disappeared. She sighed tiredly. She thought her face would crack any moment by smiling too much.

Grimacing, Yumi went her way, her thoughts were in a how long she could act like a clown, she didn't know. She was sure that if this lasted for long, she would probably break down with the tension she was feeling inside. She wished she could just tell Sachiko how she really felt.

* * *

* * *

A/N: These two chapters are probably too sad, but that's just the way they should be ;) Sometimes, we make things easy for the two, sometimes we don't, right? ;)

Just to share (whether you like it or not haha;), I'm done with my reports. Thankfully, aside from aching throat, I managed to speak fine, with no interruptions from my dear cough haha;) And now, I have to devote my time and energy to finals next week! My 3-inches readings have grown into almost 5-inches :( Well, at least that's what I have to do at night. During the day, well, people at work decided to give me too many things to do, so I guess I would need to be physically well to manage both work and studies. I'm all for going to celebrate once exams are over! ;)

Oh well folks, next chapter will be the last. I'm not going to write another one for this story. My mind, if it's going to connect things to write, is more on to new ones. Then again, I want to take a break before second semester starts, so we will just see how things will go.

Have a nice day!

_-Arvendell-_

_05 October 2010 _

_4:00 PM  
_


	3. Fireworks

A/N: Hi there, folks. I know I've made you wait for long, and even if I wanted to apologize, I guess I won't haha because there was nothing I could have done with it. I'm too busy both with studies and work. But now, you won't have to wait any longer ;)

Thanks to you folks who reviewed the previous chapter. I couldn't respond to you because I'm trying to fit everything in my time and I know you understand that even if I couldn't respond, I'm happy and thankful to you!

You know, I can hardly remember what I wrote in the previous chapters that it took me quite a while to edit what I have written for this chapter. I'm hoping that this chapter still makes sense with all the additions that I've made without re-reading the previous chapters haha ;)

Dedicated to **Zhensu...**

And no, I don't own Yumi and Sachiko ;)

Have fun!

* * *

**

* * *

Chapter 3. Fireworks

* * *

**

* * *

It was a game of hide-and-seek. Or maybe just a game of hiding. Who could hide the most would be the winner. That was Sachiko's and Yumi's current game. Both were avoiding each other while pretending that they were not. Both were starting to feel really frustrated with each other and with themselves. It was affecting their studies, their sleep, their eating habits, and their demeanour. Sometimes they would take half-steps toward each other, like what happened last time when Sachiko asked Yumi to talk briefly about anything not related to Yamayurikai work for the first time in days. And yet sometimes they would take two steps backward.

So when they were accidentally left to each other at the Rose Mansion one afternoon again, both were startled. They hadn't noticed anyone leaving the meeting room. They were so caught up with their thoughts they hadn't noticed people disappearing without bidding goodbye to them. Or they probably did say goodbye, but they were too lost with their thoughts they never heard them. However, that was beside the point. What mattered at the moment was that they were together in the room, with no other people with them, with no other students that could hear them, with no one to witness what they would do, whether to step forward and finally address their issues, or to take a step backward by running away again.

They stared at each other like in a challenge, unmoving, eyes surprisingly unwavering as they gauged each other. How their relationship had ended to this and lasted for days and weeks, they had both endured stubbornly. Sachiko thought that it was for Yumi's sake that she should avoid her and not involve her further in her frenzy world. Yumi didn't need a short-tempered, jealously possessive and engaged person like her.

Yumi, on the other hand, was thinking in the same line. Sachiko didn't need a childish, unladylike person like her. Sachiko needed someone who was her equal. She wasn't that person. She fell short to Sachiko in everything – her grades, her look, her status. Everything! Her insecurities got the best of her most of the time when it came to Sachiko.

"Look at the time. It's very late. We should be going, Onee-sama. We wouldn't want your parents worrying about their precious daughter, would we?" Yumi said with mild sarcasm before she could stop herself. She immediately giggled a nervous giggle when she realized what she had done and said.

Sachiko covered her lips as she gave an inaudible gasp. The way Yumi had spoken and the words that escaped her lips shocked and hurt her. Yumi had never spoken to her like that, never had said words like that before.

"What do you mean by that, Yumi?" Sachiko managed to ask amidst the shock.

"About what, Onee-sama? I was just saying that we should go now before it gets too dark," Yumi said with feigned ignorance that annoyed Sachiko.

"What is wrong with you, Yumi? If you're angry at me, just tell me so. I know everything is my fault but you should understand that it was for your own sake," Sachiko said before she too, could stop herself. She was frustrated beyond reasonable doubt. And as per usual, her temper was starting to get the best of her.

"I'm not mad at you, Onee-sama. How could I when you just said that everything was for my sake? It was what you wanted, right?" Yumi retorted, equally frustrated. She had never dreamed that a day would come that she would address Sachiko like this. She bowed her head in shame. "I'm sorry, Onee-sama. It just hurt me to know that my presence makes you sick," she finally managed to admit in a whisper, wanting to finally let it all out, to tell the person she cared the most, to the person she l...

"W-what?"

Sachiko was baffled.

"Yumi! How could you say such a thing?"

"Am I not? You're avoiding me like I have some terrible and transferrable disease. You're ashamed of me," Yumi said without looking at Sachiko, her voice trembling, trying to stop herself from crying.

'_Don't fall. Oh please, don't fall...'_ Yumi quietly pleaded to her tears to keep at bay. She didn't want to break down. She didn't want Sachiko to see her pitiful self crying just because...

"I...that's...you're wrong, Yumi," Sachiko said, still confused how in the world Yumi thought something as foolish as her being ashamed and sick of Yumi's presence.

"Am I? Then what is it, Onee-sama?" Yumi asked with hurt written all over her face.

"Oh Yumi. It was me. I am ashamed of what I have done to you," Sachiko said sadly. Looking at Yumi's hurt face was just too much. It had haunted her for days and nights, knowing that she was the cause of it, believing that she couldn't do anything about it. She looked away, unable to bear the look in Yumi's face. She shut her eyes tightly, willing the dreadful sight away, but it only made everything all clearer to her, mocking her. She had done this to the person she loved the most. She had reduced her beloved Yumi to this hurt and sad person. She was such a monster.

"You mean the kiss? You are ashamed of the kiss? You are ashamed that you kissed me?" Yumi asked, the hurt not disappearing in her face. Sachiko must have been disappointed that she kissed someone unresponsive, someone who didn't know how to kiss back, someone who...

Sachiko broke Yumi's line of thoughts as she started speaking so fast that Yumi had to pay all her attention to understand what Sachiko was saying.

"I kissed you even though it isn't my right to do so. You must be disgusted of me. I even accused you of many things. Of course it was foolish of me to think that you could actually like me. I mean, I am hysterical, hot-tempered and easily get jealous and..."

"You were jealous? Jealous to whom?" Yumi asked, bewildered, even as pleasant shivers started to travel within her as she slowly absorbed what Sachiko had said, the word jealous screaming at her ears. Sachiko was jealous?

"Of the girls around you!" Sachiko finally blurted. Unladylike maybe, she didn't think she could hide it anymore. She was hurt. And Yumi was hurting too, because of her. Moreover, she didn't think she could still hide it. She wanted to let it out of her chest. It was driving her mad. She had already accepted that she was jealous because she liked Yumi more than she should, that what she felt for Yumi was more than what she wanted to believe before. It was probably time to let it all out, however it might played out. She had to be strong. She was strong. She would be, for both of their sakes.

Yumi's eyes widened. For the first time, she felt like she could process everything very quick. She wanted to say something, but the hope that was bursting within her at the revelations was making it impossible for her to think of anything to say. Sachiko was jealous of the others? Sachiko said that she was foolish to think that she, Yumi, could actually like her? She gazed at Sachiko's flushed face as a smile slowly made its way in her lips.

"You mean Sei-sama?"

Sachiko nodded with her lips pressed shut. The mention of Sei still gave her angry and almost violent thoughts.

"And Touko-chan and Kanako-chan?" Yumi continued, gaining confidence, the smile becoming prominent in her lips. Was it all just a misunderstanding that had gone so out of hand?

"...Yes."

If it was possible, Sachiko's lips were pressed even firmer.

"And the fan girls and the others," Yumi continued, a full-blown smile now plastered in her lips.

"Yes," Sachiko answered without looking at Yumi. This was making her uncomfortable already. She had revealed too much already without having any slight idea what Yumi thought about it, about her. She balled her fist as she readied herself for the rejection that she expected to hear soon.

"Onee-sama, I like you, too. No. Make that, I love you, too," Yumi said confidently. Finally, she understood Sachiko's previous actions. Sachiko was guided by jealousy before. And to think that Sachiko was jealous because she had feelings for her, oh what a joy it had brought in her heart, healing any hurt she had felt before. It was all that she needed. It was all that could make the pain go away. Sachiko held that much power over her. She didn't have time to linger anymore about how her naivety had contributed to this terrible misunderstanding. If she had understood everything earlier, then she could have saved herself, themselves, from so much heartache. But she knew she wasn't the only one to be blamed. Sachiko, too, could have done something about it earlier. After all, she was the one who understood mostly what was going on. And yet she wasn't blaming Sachiko. She wouldn't blame her. And she hoped that Sachiko would stop blaming herself also.

Sachiko turned to face Yumi so fast she could feel her neck protesting with the movement. It went unnoticed as she focused her entire attention to what really mattered. What she heard was not what she had expected to hear. She gazed at Yumi's smiling face intently, before a sad smile appeared in her face that wiped Yumi's happy smile.

"Something wrong, Onee...Sachiko?"

Sachiko's heart skipped a beat. Yumi called her by her name. It sounded so good to her ears. It made her feel that the two of them were closer now. However, she was still unsure. It just seemed unbelievable, to have the person she loved return her feelings. It just seemed so easy. Was it really that easy for her?

"Yumi, you don't need to say it just because it's what I wanted. You should..."

"Be quiet, Onee-sama," Yumi cut off that immediately shut Sachiko. Yumi had never told her to be quiet before. It was always the other way around so she was taken aback.

Yumi suppressed the giggle that threatened to escape her lips at the sheer bewilderment in Sachiko's face. At another time, she would have been mortified by her audacity, and surely Sachiko would have scolded her. However, now was not the time for that. She had to be stronger than before. No more hesitating in threading this line, no more masking her feelings.

"I said I love you because that's what I really feel. I love you, not because we're sisters but of something more. I couldn't imagine my life without you and yet I was scared. Will Sachiko love me like I do? Will Sachiko love someone like me who is clumsy and naive and..."

It was Sachiko's turn to stop Yumi by placing a finger on her lips. Finally, she was starting to believe that things could get better between them. Her heart hammered in her chest as thoughts, now finally pleasant thoughts, stormed through her head.

"Foolish, weren't we? We were always worried about each other and yet if we only listened to what our hearts were saying, we should have realized what the other felt," Sachiko said in trembling voice. She couldn't believe how she had let things go so out of hand, how she had caused so much suffering between them. She thought she had changed. She thought she had become stronger. She thought she was doing what was the best for Yumi. She was naive, foolish even. She should have known that there were things that she couldn't do alone, especially if it concerned Yumi. It should have been the decision of the both of them. She shouldn't have bottled everything within her and then exploding like the hysterical person that she was.

"Well, I think we aren't thinking foolishly now, O...Sachiko," Yumi faltered. She wasn't used to calling Sachiko by her name yet. Especially now that the comfortable air between them was coming back. She was trying to drive a point earlier so she had the courage to call Sachiko by her first name. But now...

"What a relief," Sachiko said as finally a happy smile graced her lips. She would reflect on all her wrong doings later and learn from it. For now, she would allow herself to be happy, to enjoy herself. She hadn't felt this light feeling in a long time. Only Yumi could make her feel like this, her petite seour who held her heart in her soft, tiny hands.

"You could say that again. The show was over."

"What show?" Sachiko asked in confusion, though it didn't show in her face. She was so happy that a frown couldn't mar her contented features.

"Nothing. Um...could you, could we...ah..." Yumi hemmed and hummed, suddenly shy to ask Sachiko. Her face felt so hot she thought steam would come out of it. She instantly berated herself for what she wanted. She shouldn't, at least not yet. They just cleared up the misunderstanding between them, and revealed their feelings for each other. She shouldn't be greedy and...

"By the look of embarrassment in your face, I would say that my Yumi wants a kiss," Sachiko teased. She could finally smile and be playful. She was happy, happier than she had ever felt before. She could call Yumi hers now. Hot-tempered, hysterical, unreasonable, and insanely possessive and jealous person that she was, Yumi wanted her. Yumi loved her. Her eyes twinkled with sheer happiness at the thought.

Yumi caught her breath at the beauty that a happy Sachiko radiated. Sachiko had always been beautiful. But now...

"Yumi?" Sachiko prompted when Yumi gaped at her for quite some time.

When Yumi finally gathered her wits, her face was an imitation of a red apple and her knees were melting like a puddle. She had to hold on to something to stay standing. Sachiko had such an effect on her.

"W-well, co...considering w-what happened last time. I...I was so...so shocked and..."

Yumi wasn't able to say anything anymore as Sachiko made it impossible for her to speak. She was thankful for it for two reasons. It saved her from further stuttering, and she had Sachiko's lips on hers. This time though, she responded as Sachiko kissed her. Her arms were around Sachiko as the latter had her arms around her, too.

They kissed clumsily and yet enthusiastically. They didn't know how to kiss properly yet, but it wasn't any hindrance at all. And inside Yumi's head, she could hear the explosion of fireworks, could see the lights emitted by the fireworks. It was a signal that it was over. She had performed her acts well, be as an acrobat or as a clown.

"You...you won't accuse me as womanizer anymore?" Yumi asked breathlessly when they separated from the kiss for air, though the distance between them wasn't noticeable as her lips grazed Sachiko's when she spoke. She didn't want to be separated from Sachiko if she could help it.

Sachiko lifted a hand to caressed Yumi's burning cheeks without opening her eyes. She was smiling. And she knew Yumi was, too.

"I'm not sure. If my Yumi would be so..."

"You'll just have to be strong Sachiko. You have to. After all, you fell in love to a person who a-attracts women like enticing flowers to bees," Yumi teased boldly even as she faltered at the word attract. She still didn't believe that she could attract females easily, nor did she believe that many people liked her a lot. However, there were two things that she believed, albeit bashfully. Sachiko liked her a lot and she could call Sachiko hers now. Both things made her warm all over.

"Really?" Sachiko asked as she tightened her arms once more around Yumi, who responded in kind. They stood in each other's arms looking as if they were one.

"No, wait. For sure you would breathe fire and throw knives at them," Yumi said huskily. She had never spoken like that in her life, but it came out naturally. It must be due to her closeness to Sachiko, of the feel of Sachiko's warm body against her.

"What am I, a performer in a circus?" Sachiko breathed as pleasant shivers travelled her spine. The way Yumi had spoken made her pulse sped up.

Yumi paused before she pulled Sachiko even closer, if that was still possible, and whispered, "Maybe we are," before she initiated another long kiss.

* * *

_

* * *

-Wakas-

* * *

_

* * *

Hmm...now that I think about it, if I ever write a sequel to this, should I just give a copy to you folks who reviewed? (grin;) Whatever comes to my mind, right? ;) Then again, there might be no sequel anymore (who knows) just because I'm too busy to write anything (even if I have thought of the possible sequel title). I know my sem-break has started, and my friends are taking advantage of that. My weekends are full with travels, but at least they are for pleasure, not work or studies so that's fine, right? One weekend is for celebration for a well-done 1st semester! And can you believe it, of my two subjects, the one that stressed me the most had the most fulfilling return. My grade is highest in that subject compared to the other one haha ;) At least my work paid off. I hope next semester wouldn't try to kill me haha ;)

Well then, I don't know when I'm going to post something here again. I hope it won't take me long. Then again, you have always been patient with me, right? ;) I appear and disappear here, and most of you still stay with me ;)

Thanks, folks, for making it worthwhile and fun to post here! Take care always!

Poof! (Arvendell disappears to who knows where;)

_-Arvendell-_

_21 October 2010 _

_10:40 AM_


End file.
